The chief of Abutia–Kpota, Togbe Tsali and the management of E.P Basic School have appealed to government, philanthropists, churches and public spirited organisations to help rebuild the abandoned teachers’ quarters constructed in the 1970s, to address the accommodation needs of teachers in the area.
Togbe Tsali said teachers refused posting to Abutia-Kpota is as a result of lack of accommodation for them, which he said, was affecting quality teaching and learning in the area.
Speaking to the media at Abuti-Kpota in the Ho West District of the Volta region on challenges confronting education in the area, Togbe Tsali explained that the quarters were built by the General I.K. Acheampong led military government to cater for refugees from the Republic of Togo, who escaped to Ghana as a result of conflict that emanated from a coup in that country.
The chief further explained that the abandoned quarters were for teachers of the then Refugees Basic School, now the E.P Basic School, adding that the farming activities of the refugees failed and they were relocated to the national capital, Accra.
Togbe Tsali continued that since then, the quarters had not seen any refurbishment in spite of various appeals made by the chiefs and elders.
The authorities have also failed to complete construction of two bungalows that were started under the European Union (EU) 5th Micro Project programme.
The Chief said the two uncompleted EU bungalows were left without handing them over to the school, thereby allowing the building to deteriorate.
For now, these two buildings must be re-constructed in addition to the teachers’ bungalows to address the accommodation needs of the teachers.
He said the chiefs and people of Abuti-Kpota had never relented in their efforts to find accommodation for teachers through community self-help initiative, with support from the Member of Parliament (MP) for Ho West, Mr Emmanuel Kwasi Bedzrah.
According to the chief, under the MP’s Development Fund, a 6-unit chamber and hall self-contained houses and single rooms with toilet, bath and kitchen were constructed and handed over to the school authorities.
He disclosed that the kindergarten (KG) at Abutia-Kpota Basic School was closed down, following the withdrawal of teachers at the KG department by the authorities of the Ho West District Directorate of Education, which the community members were uncomfortable with, as clear reasons for the withdrawal, was not made known to them.
Togbe Tsali said as a result of various appeals made to the District Directorate of Education, three teachers were posted to the KG department, which was denied teachers for the past nine months and their presence brought life back to the basic school.
He announced that to ensure quality education at the KG, the community mobilised resources and refurbished the new KG and handed it over to the school authorities to promote quality childhood education in the area.
The Head teacher of Abutai-Kpota E.P Basic School, Mr Nutepe Abotsi, commended the Ho West District Directorate of Education for the quick response by posting the three teachers to the KG department of the school, adding that Abutia-Kpota KG was among five selected KGs in Ghana to benefit from a pilot system of early childhood teaching and learning dubbed – “Right to Play”, under Leadership Community of Practice (LCOP).
Mr Abotsi said as a result, a team of early childhood education officers from Rwanda, led by officers from the Ghana Education Service (GES) visited the school’s KG to observe how teaching and learning was done, as well as classroom layout.
A teacher at the KG department, Ms Mercy Esinam Anyigba commended the Abutia-Kpota community for their communal spirit that had promoted education in the community and promised that she and other teachers would put in their best efforts to educate the children.
A Specialist in Educationist, working with Right to Play Organisation, Mr Kwabena Gao, on his part explained that education is the key to the development of every country and stressed that sound early childhood education would definitely provide a strong foundation for the educational system in the country.
An Opinion Leader in the community, Mr Godwin Ndewu, said the chiefs, elders and people of the community were committed to ensuring that the only basic school in the town would grow to become one of the best schools in the Volta region and the country in general.
The Chairman of Abutia-Kpota Development Committee, Mr David Segbe, disclosed that friends in the Republic of Korea are helping the community to construct a clinic, which was expected to be completed in six months, adding that the project was at the window level and that when completed would have a consulting room, male and female wards, Dispensary, X-ray department and OPD.
Mr Segbe said the community contributed an amount of GH¢65,000 to support development projects at the Abutia-Kpota Basic School and lauded the efforts of the chiefs and people of the community for their willingness to promote quality education in the area.
